Report No. 188

(XI) Russia:

(http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/law/ugrad/study/course_mats/russian/ctsys.html)

It is an interesting characteristic of the Russian legal system that it has a separate system of effective commercial courts but there is no commercial code.

The High Arbitrazh Court at the top of the court system decides disputes between businesses. There are certain exceptions but bankruptcy cases and shareholder suits against companies, even if they involve private citizens, currently are heard only by these courts. Appeals lie to the Supreme Court. Commercial cases can also go to the constitutional court, if they involve constitutional issues particularly where legality of taxation laws are involved. (see http://home.law.uiuc.edu/rpmaggs/concom.htm.)